The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1887-07-13
IN WAR PAINT AND FEATHERS
American Indians Who Still Live in a
Savage State.
From the WASHINGTON SIN r


treaties with the Northwest Indians about
year ago, and recently submitted their last
report TO the interior Department. had an
interesting experience among these savayes
VINO are the most remote and come neorer
preserving the traditional Indian character
Ulah any now eXtant Some of the tribes
along the borders OF Minnesota. Montana
dakota, Idaho and Washington Territory
are as savage rs their ancestors of 100 years
ago; 1Eey nave hidden themselves away in
tt.e inaccessible wilderness, out Of the reach
OF civilization, and maintain all the ancient
savage customs of dressing with skins of
ANIMALS, feathers and paint, feeding on fish
ana game, and conducting wars with each
osher. They are about the only specimens
OF the entirely savage Indians Other In
olans IN the same region have attained adj
vanced civilization. Those in Idaho and
washington Territory are the most savage
LIKE A NEW COUNTRY.
1T was like exploring new country, Z"
SAID Judge Wright, the chairman of the
commission, talking over his trip with a re-
porter. ''Some of the tribes are almost in
accessible. Their abodes can be reached
only by the aid of Indian guides. These
indians can travel anywhere through path
less forests, which would be impenetrable to
~ AAOC itLeiLl 1u6 luuldItS KNOW The trees
ana the elevations just as you know the
streets in Washington, and thew can
describe localities TO each other so that
they can understand just where it is,
though buried in the very deptbs of
the Wilderness as trackless as the ocean,
One Indian can tell another at lust what
tree in the vast forest he has hidden some
thing, SO that the other can 90 and find it.
though it may be a hundred miles away
They traverse the forests, and seem to know
by instinct just where they are-they seem
to know every tree. Some Of the tribes
are as uncivili2ed as those of whom
Cooper wrote. Some of the tribes
about the groups of small lakes that form
the headwaters Of the great Mississippi, in
Minnesota, could be reached only by means
OF birch bark canoes. We Travelled for 200
miles in these frail crafts, through most
beautiful and
WILDLY ROMANTIC REGION
THE Indians were our guides and thew
alone could transport u.s. The largest of the
lakes are probably twenty miles wide by
thirty long, and they are strung together by
the winding thread of the Mississippi before
it starts on its bold southern course. The
lakes are right in among the forests, and
sometimes they are very rough. When
storms occurred it was impossible to go upon
them in the canoes. We travelled in true
Indian style. Each canoe was padded by a
savage and they were managed with great
skill. Three were the most that could 90 in
one canoe, and we had to sit fat on the bot
tom. The Indians could easily carry the
boats on their heads when they took them
from the water. We landed for our meals
and camped in the forests at the
edge of the water at night The forests
were filled with game and the waters with
the finest fish. There were seventeen in the
party, guides and all, and the Indians would
catch enough fish as we moved along so that
we would have all we could eat for dinner
Some of the party would go on shore and
shoot game. One Indian alone in his canoe
would 20 ahead of the party and shoot
ducks on the lake. He would paddle up and
shoot, and then take up his paddle again
He was wonderful shot. We used tC
count the reports of his gun and then count
the game, and he generally had something
for every shot. One day we counted six.
teen shots, and he brought back fifteen
ducks. We had a contract with the In
dams that they were to furnish us with food
and transportation and the game they
killed furnished us with fresh food.
MEETINGS WITH THE INDIANS.
'In some of the canoes were distributed
our luggage, while others carried the pas
sengers, and we had runners who went
very rapidly in advance of us to assemble
the tribes we wished to consult with. We
would land at certain places, where the
Indians would meet lis by appointment.
Some of the meetings would be held in old
time savage fashion in the woods, on the
shores of the lakes, and the pipes would be
passed around, and the Indians would make
long harangues. Generally, we stopped at
the missions, and the Indians assembled
there to confer with U.S. These missions are
the work Of the Catholic priests and Sisters,
and wherever they are located the Indians
have reached a degree of civilization.
hair and civilized dress, and are more rless
thrifty.
INDIANS WITH A BRASS BAND.
"There was one tribe in particular" CON
tinued the Judge, that surprised us by
their advancement. The chief and mum
Der of warriors rode down at great speed to
meet us, discharging their Winchesters as
they came. Here they dismounted and
shook hands, and the warriors acted as an
escort OF honor. While we were talking with
them there burst upon us the sound of Hail
Columbia and then The Star Spangled
Banner played by brass band. You may
imagine our astonishment. 1t sounded
strange in this wild region. The music was
by band of Indian boys. At the schools
the Indian boys and girls taught by the
priests and Sisters are as far advanced as
our children of the same age at
the public schools in the large cities. We
were given permission to examine them i'll
our own way, and they acquitted them
selves with great credit Some Of the In
dams we found thrifty and with good homes
and signs of industry and prosperity about
them. Others were drunken, dirty and
good-for-notLing. Some were utterly with
out civilization, and it would have been
dangerous to have gone among them had
they not have been friendly at the time.
They met us dressed in their wild native
costumes, brecch-clouts and trinkets, feath-
ers in their hair and their faces painted,
some one color all over, some half blue, half
yellow, and some striped red, yellow and
blue.
SENTIMENT AND FIRE-wATER.
"They possessed" said the judge, that
wild savage romance, and gave us long
harangles about the graves of their forefath-
ers. The more savage, filthy, and degraded
they were the more pretense they made OF
this sentiment. Our talks with them were
long and tedious. The great trouble with
them is whisky. You can get along with a
sober Indian, but when he is drunk he is a
wild beast he will do anything. It's against
the law to sell liquor to them, but white
men buy it for them and make large profit
bv the transaction. They buy n bottle and
hide il in the brush and the Indians ind 1t.
They have a certain code Of honor which
they maintain with great stoicism. You
could neither bride or threaten one OF those
Indians TO make him tell on anyone who